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bouzane on 02 November 2014
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Intrinsic said:

Anyone that remotely know how I post will have gathered that I am strongly against this very type of comparisons. Thats primarily because I believe they are usually always done unfairly and unrealistically. So I made this thread to explain exactly why. Now I am invitng all the PC guys here and the console guys to agree or disagree with my reasoning. This will not stop some from still making such comaprisons but I hope this thread or post would serve as a very good way to put things in perspective. So onto the points.

 

  1. HARDWARE
    Ignoring the display. Lets start with what is in the box. For consoles, you go out and spend $350-$400 for a box that comes with a console, an OS, a controller, a HDMI cable, power cable, disc drive and a headset (and maybe a free game). Then you connect that box to your TV. If anyone will be comparing a PC to a console, shoudn't it only be fair to compare a PC that cost just as much and will give you the exact same things in the box? A PC that will come with at least a mouse/keyboard or a controller, a video cable, disc drive and an OS. For the exact same price of $350-$400.

  2. PERFORMANCE
    This ties directly into the above point. If I spend $1000 on a GPU alone. It sure as hell will out perform a GPU that costs $400 or even a GPU that costs $200. I think this is something any PC gamer can relate with. It would be a special kinda stupid to expect a $200GPU to perform as well as a $1000 or even a $3000 GPU. So if screenshots of PC games are put up for the sole purpose of comparing them to consoles, shouldn't the PC in question generating the in game screen shot be at least similarly priced to the console in question. Cause at the end of the day the real comparison is what you can get for your money. If you are comparing the performance of something that costs 4 times more than a console then doesn't that defeat the purpose? Thats like trying to drag race a honda civic with an enzo ferrari.

  3. CONSUMER TYPE
    There is a very very big difference between a hardcore PC gamer and a console gamer. Put simply, a console gamer just wants ease of access. A box they just buy and plug into their TV. A box that will do everything for them that needs to be done to run the game. So if a PC gamer is going to argue with a console gamer, shouldn't they at least consider that that console gamer is most likely not willing or interested in doing all the things that you may have to do to get a great PC rig at the afore mentioned $350-$400. Like scrounge for used/refurbished parts.. basically build your own RIG. These are ppl that wanna just go and buy a box that works. What sense does it now make to start a PC argument by "you can BUILD a system better than that with teh same amount of money if you are willing to get a little creative or resourceful".

    I also think that some PC gamers can be obnoxious. Cause they act like a consumer wnting to spend what he/she deems is all they need to spend for their gaming is stupid. Some people want to spend $350-$400 for a console. Some people are willing to spend way more for a PC if need be. Whats wrong with any of that?
Thats it. These are the things I think in all fairness needs to be considered. Its like the PS4 vs XB1. I am sure most will agree that the XB1 should at least be $50 cheaper than the PS4 because its less powerful hardware and it does not perform as well (even though this performance delta is mostly hard to see with the naked eye unless they are pointed out to some). What I don'tt understand is that if this applies to practically identical hardware in their function and pricing, why doesn't/shouldn't Pcs  follow suit. Shouldn't a $1000 PC naturally perform much better? So how in anyones right mind would comparing way more powerful and expensive hardware to something cheaper make any kinda sense.
And whats funny is that every year this price:performance argument gets steeper. Last year, the question was can you walk into a store and buy (not build) a PC for $400-$500 that performs just as well or would outperform a PS4/XB1. This year its for $350-$400 (and don't forget that theer are games even thrown in there too). Next year it could be $250-$350 and so on.... Cause at the point, for the spending floor in question, thats what you can get with a console. And the millions of people that buy consoles clearly shows that thats all some are willing to spend for their gaming needs.

 


Alright, seeing that you dismiss anything I say that's not directly related to your original post I'll simply respond to each point and discuss nothing else.

1. $350-400 is not the cost of a new console where I live. I can purchase The Last of Us PS4 bundle for $508.49 taxes included (no S&H), not $350 or $400. Again, a comperable PC cost me about $700 including taxes, shipping and handling. Your point is valid but exaggerated. Additionally, the hardware that I bought last year now costs less than $600.

2. Using a mid-ranged PC for all of your comparison videos would pose logistical problems (how would you determine which components to use, who would determine the price of the system?). Also, you would want to show the PC versions' full capabilities because many of the people who watch these videos have high-end rigs and they want to see what is available to them. I will admit that it would make sense to include a mid-ranged PC in the comparison but not one in the $500 price range though. Direct price comparisons are pointless because I need to own a PC anyway, why not invest a little to make it play games too?

3. As a PC gamer I don't scrounge for refurbished parts (where did you get this notion?) and I don't actually build my own rig. I go to NCIX and use a series of simple list boxes to select from popular components and it's all done in minutes. I have friends who don't know / want to bother so i do it for them, it's a snap. Once the system arrives we hook it up to the TV and we're gaming in minutes.

Additionally, your statement that the price / performance difference gets worse every year is absurd. The price of game consoles does not drop nearly as rapidly as PC components. The PS4 that was sold at a loss in 2013 will not drop in price as much as the PC components that I bought last year. Just for kicks I went to Tigerdirect and tossed together a slightly better system for about $575, nearly a 20% decrease in cost. I could have spent more time looking for better prices but I don't feel like putting much work into this. There is no way for a console, intially sold at a loss, to keep up with the decrease in price for ANY PC hardware. That assertion simply has no basis in reality.